A murder is committed in Dark Hollow and the proprietor of a neighboring inn is convicted and hanged. Twelve years later events take a turn, and the judge who convicted the man confesses that he himself was the murderer. Meanwhile the man who was hanged was proved to have been a murderer before that time, and for a crowning touch his daughter and the son of the judge are happily united. Shades of Eugenics! The mystery is well sustained and readable.

and the men drew back; then the
very silence caused a sudden reaction, and with one simultaneous
rush, they made for the only entrance they saw and burst without
further ceremony into the house.

A common hall and common furnishings confronted them. They had
entered at the side and were evidently close upon the kitchen.
More they could not gather; for blocked as the doorway was by
their crowding figures, the little light which sifted in over
their heads was not enough to show up details.

But it was even darker in the room towards which their determined
leader now piloted them. Here there was no light at all; or if
some stray glimmer forced its way through the network of leaves
swathing the outer walls, it was of too faint a character to reach
the corners or even to make the furniture about them
distinguishable.

Halting with one accord in what seemed to be the middle of the
uncarpeted floor, they waited for some indication of a clear
passageway to the great room where the judge would undoubtedly be
fou